The Laundry Lounge Turning Suds Into Success

Something is spinning and brewing in Orangeburg and it’s great for everybody. Our neighbor, Susan Nemesdy, has opened the Laundry Lounge in the plaza at the corner of Rte. 303 and Mountainview.

Walking into the Laundry Lounge, and I would suggest you do, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary laundromat. Susan has always been a builder, worker and visionary. Vision alone won’t get anybody anywhere though. It took persistence, determination, completing a mountain of paperwork, dealing with permits and inspectors and that was just the start. Two years later, the Laundry Lounge is up and running. It’s an immaculate, shiny space with brand new machines and seating. No leaning against the dryers or (yuk) sitting on the tables. The staff is helpful and efficient. In addition to self-service, it offers a wash & fold service and a counter with coffee and lattes in a beautiful space Susan designed. It’s open and airy with lots of colorful, comfortable seating. Have a delicious bottle of Italian grapefruit sparkling mineral water or a cup of java while you wait, it is all right there. You can also drop off used blankets and towels etc., which Susan launders and donates to the animal shelter in Pomona.

Susan is a unique, very special human. During Covid she began thinking about what the essential jobs are and who they employ. Food, healthcare and laundry services topped the list. Mother of three boys, the inspiration was her youngest, Christopher, age 25, who is on the autism spectrum. Adults on the spectrum and neurodivergent people have a very hard time finding meaningful work. Creating something in which Chris and others like him can learn a skill while building a lasting business is a part of the Laundry Lounge mission.

Lawrence Katz, the Elizabeth Allison Professor of Economics at Harvard, pointed out that work is not just what people do for a living. It is a source of status; it organizes a person’s life and offers opportunities for progress. It builds confidence. Making money fosters independence, gotta make some, gotta have some. Folks with intellectual or developmental disabilities need to become acquainted with all the components of work to be part of this grand world and vocational work experiences are essential.

Ms. Heather Cahill can tell you that. She is the Principal at St. Dominic’s School, a therapeutic elementary school located on Western Highway behind St. Dominic’s Convent. Happily, it’s just about a mile from the Laundry Lounge. The High School Life Skills program is designed to give older students academic instruction combined with community-based vocational work through real life learning at lots of different workplaces. The program, coordinated by Ms. Patti Fagan, sends students out with staff for an hour or two once or twice a week to different types of businesses to volunteer, train and familiarize these young people with many types of work. How perfect it is that a mile away on Mountainview and Route 303 is Susan’s Laundry Lounge! Starting this fall, students from St. Dominic’s will be volunteering there learning new things.

In addition to striving to run a successful business in Rockland County, a significant feat, Susan is providing work experience to a population of young people who are often overlooked. All that is wonderful to be sure but let’s not forget the power and warmth of a steaming latte on a fall day while your king-size comforter or your pile of pet bedding tumbles away in a huge brand-new dryer not breaking the machine you have at home. The Laundry Lounge can make a significant contribution to your very own quality of life too; it’s a winning brew for all of us.